Amendments to the law governing foreign professionals have expanded pathways to work and long-term residency, and the International Talent Taiwan Office can help them understand how the new rules apply to their individual circumstances, the office’s managing director said.
“There are many government processes that come with moving to a new country, and we hope to provide the best information we can,” International Talent Taiwan Office Managing Director Jonathan Liao (廖炳坤) said on Thursday.
“If there are questions we cannot answer ourselves, we help verify them with other government agencies,” Liao said, adding that his team offers assistance in multiple areas, including setting up bank accounts, finding housing and schools for children — even importing pets.
Photo: Ge You-hao, Taipei Times
The International Talent Taiwan Office was set up in November 2023 as part of efforts spearheaded by the National Development Council (NDC) to attract foreign professionals to work in Taiwan.
The office has three branches — in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung — that employ three dozen workers in total.
Every month, the branches respond to about 4,700 e-mails, phone calls and instant messages both domestically and internationally, Liao said, adding that foreign professionals from 119 nations have contacted the office.
The office also provides on-site consultation services for those already in Taiwan, with 416 consultations having taken place in the Taipei office alone last year, he said.
“Ultimately, we want foreign professionals to stay in Taiwan longer,” Liao said.
Official data suggest that Taiwan’s efforts at attracting foreign talent have had some success.
The number of foreign professionals in Taiwan has grown from less than 40,000 in 2018 to “nearly 80,000,” NDC Deputy Minister Jan Fang-guan (詹方冠) said earlier this month at an event explaining amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法), which came into effect this year.
Changes to the law include allowing international graduates of Taiwanese universities to work without a work permit for two years after graduation and giving graduates of the world’s top 200 universities a two-year open work permit.
The reforms also shorten permanent residency timelines for Taiwan-educated foreigners and some “foreign specialist professionals,” allow spouses of foreign specialists to work freely, and expand access to the pension and employment insurance systems.
Under the law, there are different categories of foreign professionals based on factors such as industry and income level, and different legal working options ranging from open-work permits and employer-based working arrangements to digital nomad and premium “gold card” visas.
The office exists to “demystify” the various visa options and answer any questions foreigners might have, Liao said, adding that e-mail is the best way to get in contact.
“There are different funnels for people to ultimately stay in Taiwan,” he said, adding that the office is there to help foreigners understand those various pathways.
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